


cut to the feeling

by smallball



Category: Humans (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2018-05-27
Packaged: 2019-05-14 14:09:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14771141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smallball/pseuds/smallball
Summary: Coffee shop AU - Astrid as the barista, Niska as the regular client(?)





	cut to the feeling

**Author's Note:**

> Hi y'all! I'm not really the writer type but season 3 is back, I'm back to being Nistrid trash and I haven't seen any AUs for this ship. This is literally a crime, I loooove AUs!! So pls bear with me, this is just a fun story for fun purposes, it's your typical coffee shop AU. Since I finished writing my thesis like a few days ago this is not gonna be long. I hope y'all enjoy :)  
> [The title is obviously a song title because I'm weak and I've been listening to it on repeat for the past week]

**I.**

This is a really shitty morning. She overslept, forgot her umbrella and got caught in the heavy rain and on top of that she obviously didn’t have the time for her daily morning coffee. Now she’s standing behind the counter, minutes before opening the place and thanking whoever’s up there for the fact that she works in a coffee shop. She’s trying to sip the hot liquid as fast as she can without losing the ritual of savoring the bitter taste on the tip of her tongue. She empties the cup with the last gulp and licks her lips while unlocking the door, mentally preparing for the long day ahead of her. Walking back to the counter she hears the door open and close. It’s not nine yet so she turns around ready to tell the customer to leave.

“Es ist geschlossen?” She was trying to scold them but what comes out of her mouth is a weird questioning tone, as if she’s trying to ask why such a beautiful woman would end up in a small coffee shop on a quiet street of Berlin. She’s leaning against the wall, as if she’s trying to hide from something outside, and when she looks up and for a split second Astrid recognizes fear in her blue eyes. Soon enough the woman gains composure and stands up straight without breaking eye contact.

“I’m sorry, I will be leaving as soon as I possibly can” she speaks and Astrid immediately recognizes the accent.

“You’re British” she says with a hint of disbelief, still trying to process everything that is happening.

“You’re German” the woman replies in a deadpan tone and Astrid can’t help but crack a smile.

“I’m Astrid” she takes a few steps towards the blonde, stretches out her hand and smiles. With hesitation, the woman looks at her palm and back at her face. Slowly she reaches for Astrid’s hand and lightly grabs it, flinching a little at the contact.

“Niska” she says quietly and quickly withdraws her hand, turning around and taking a glimpse out the window. Before Astrid gets the chance to say anything else, Niska leaves the shop without closing the door.

Standing in the doorway Astrid blinks a few times and takes a deep breath. This is certainly not how she imagined this day going. At all.

 

**II.**

Niska comes back the next day. It’s almost ten and Astrid can’t see anything besides the long line of clients. Suddenly she catches sight of the light blond hair, the same hair that was on her mind all day yesterday. She can’t help but smile when Niska walks up to the counter.

“What can I get you?” she asks in english, trying to sound nonchalant. She doesn’t know how but she’s sure Niska can tell her heart rate is elevated. She smirks at Astrid and raises her eyebrows.

“What do you recommend?”

“Vanilla latte?” for some reason this is all Astrid can think of right now, trying to sneak a subtle glance at the milky skin on Niska’s collarbone, a stark contrast between the black t-shirt she’s wearing today.

“Vanilla latte it is” Niska nods and takes a step back. “You know my name”.

 

Astrid is sure she saw Niska smile when she was leaving the shop and took a glance at the tiny heart drawn next to her name on the cup.

 

**III.**

Niska comes by every day at the same time, ordering the same thing, exchanging a few words with her and leaving the café. She wants to ask her out but every time she feels there’s something holding her back. _This is stupid_ she thinks almost two weeks after their first meeting when Niska walks up to the door ready to leave once again.  _This is so not you Astrid, get it together._ In a split second she makes the decision.

“I don’t feel good, I’m going to get some fresh air” she tells Inga who’s standing next to her and follows Niska outside. She runs in the same direction she sees the woman disappear every morning and stops at the street corner. It’s too late and she can’t see Niska anywhere. She lets out a resigned sigh and turns around to go back to the café when a strange sight catches her eye. The brown cup with Niska’s name on it is laying in the nearest trashcan and judging by the spilled coffee it was very much full when she threw it out. Astrid’s heart sinks a little when she comes back behind the counter and she’s trying to to think about it and feel hurt over the next few hours of her shift.

 

**IV.**

The next day she’s still smiling, but Niska can tell something is off.

“What’s wrong?” she asks but Astrid decides not to tell her, not yet.

“Nothing” she brushes it off and hands her the latte with a smile. Niska looks at her suspiciously but she takes the coffee, says goodbye and leaves.

To Inga’s amusement Astrid excuses herself again, just in time to peer outside the door and watch Niska throw her coffee in a trashcan on the nearest corner of the street and walk away. She comes back inside and doesn’t speak to anyone but the customers for the rest of the day.

 

**V.**

“I saw you throw away the coffee” she says before Niska can even open her mouth walking up to the counter. The woman seems a bit surprised and unsure what to answer. “Why won’t you just tell me it sucks?”

Niska’s surprise is quickly taken over by the laughter involuntarily leaving her mouth. For a hot second Astrid forgets her hurt feelings and marvels at the sound, but soon enough she comes back to reality.

“Hey! That’s not funny” she pouts and immediately feels silly, but Niska looks at her with a gleam in her eye that Astrid’s never seen before.

“I… I don’t drink coffee” Niska admits and looks down at her shoes. “I was coming here to say hi to you”

Astrid doesn’t even know what to say. She feels stupid and her cheeks are definitely red, something that doesn’t happen, ever. But she knows that there’s one thing she absolutely has to do so she reaches out for a napkin, takes a pen and quickly writes down her number. She puts it in Niska’s hand and as the woman looks up at her, she smiles.

“Now that I know coffee is off the table, we can always go for a walk” she says and her heart flutters when Niska tilts her head and gives her a delicate smile.

“I would like that” Niska replies and walks out of the café, replaying Astrid’s grin in her head for the rest of her walk home.

**Author's Note:**

> Google translate told me that "es ist geschlossen" means "it's closed" so let's stick with that lol


End file.
